Circulated memo written by Dinka in Malakal

That letter was written in Arabic language and the following translation is the content of the memo.

Upper Nile State- Malakal

Sobat County (Malakal-Bylet)

Important declaration

Hunger lions live in the forests and the meat of lam is eaten by dogs  

''Respectful People of Upper Nile''

We greeting you with struggling and resistant greetings, you live in series of problems these days under polluted environment with troublesome declarations, Killings, threatening and attacking that had occurred within Malakal town. Our people in the area of Pantanj and all Sobat areas (Ngok and Dingjol) when under these series of problems, which were intended against our community (Dinka), which started in 2005 by the conquest of all sets in the Legislative Assemblies, at the national level, and South Sudan, and that drama was completed in Upper Nile State by confiscation of Dinka Lands. These malpractices were carryout by weak personality within Shilluk (Collo), who are political leaders and SPLA/M representatives. Unfortunately these are people who proclaimed slogan of ''New Sudan'', which advocate for the spirit of democracy system, justice and equality, also advocate for elimination of dictatorship spirit, and corruption. Nevertheless, the ''New Sudan'' slogan tries to ensure the respect to other opinions. These are the goals and objectives which the New Sudan is all about.

 Indeed, the New Sudan emerged to challenge the ugly isolated people, those who concern about their stomachs, and traitors who seek to pass their agenda and confiscation of Malakal town. The mention misconducts mean administration corruption and misused of the power to execute tribal agenda for political gain.

Our patriotic freedom people:

We are going to disclose to you the exploiters, self-interested parasites, spies and traitors who sell out Malakal case, you can observed this in their ways and their attitudes and we are watching them very closely.

We, the people of the Sobat County (Malakal and Bylet ) confirmed the followings:

1-We strongly criticize and challenge the behaviors which are inhuman that lack the conscience, this is a tribal conflict brought about by sons of Shilluk (Collo).

2- We charge the government of the State to be fully accountable and   responsible for all problems that are mounting up and atrocities that will occur due to their failure in the   implementation of the State constitution.

3- The period of accommodation for Shilluk who live in Dinka areas is over. Therefore, they must leave immediately if not then they will face the consequences.

4- Malakal is the capital of Sobat County and all unofficial and unlawful Counties must be dismantled.

5-The national council of SPLA must removed Pagan Amum in his position as General Secretary of SPLA/M and must be presented to the court of law because of administration corruption, for he made himself the representative of Malakal in Legislative Assembly of Southern Sudan out of five sets given to sons of Shilluk, who live in west side of the Nile

Our patriotic people wherever you are in the big nation Sudan, we have an obligation to clarify the truth to you as follows:

1-Before Pagan Amum asked for ownership of Malakal town in Panygor- Bor conference in 2002, but that conference came out with resolution that all Shilluk living in Dinka land are emigrants and they will live just  as citizen in the those places  which are belonging to Dinka.

2 The border between Dinka Padang and Shilluk is the Nile, and this is very clear in all maps since 1/1/1956 and it was said as indicated below:

A- Eastern side of the Nile in northern Upper Nile is the inhabitant of Dinka Abyalang and it capital is Renk.

B-South eastern side of the Nile is occupied by Nuer and it capital is Nasir.

C- Western side of the Nile is the inhabitant of Shilluk and it capital is Kodok.

D- The areas in the middle of Upper Nile State are occupied by Dinka Ngok and Dingjol and it capital is Malakal.

Go a head win the case for oppressed people

People of Sobat County 2008

The below is my personal response to the memo:

My fellow countrymen the above text had been issued by unknown people who claimed to be Dinka representatives in Malakal. The weakness of the text is that the author is not genuine in his argument because he failed to put claim very clear for the reader's consumption. For any one who has a case must identified himself or herself to the public rather then being coward biting dog in darkness. By not being courageous to make yourself known implies that you done have a case, but you are trying to bring confusion within the life of the citizen.

The author failed to tell us exactly who are hunger lions, but  we can sense that the  author is disclosing that Dinka are hunger lions who are trying to swallow Collo lands, I Think this is why he failed to mention his name because of shame for he cannot face the trust of the matter.

I wonder how does  this unethical minded man brought this statistical claimed that Collo conquest the sets in National Assembly and South legislative Assembly, which are for Malakal State. This argument has no trust in it because those sets were divided according to ethical weight I don't know if this bias author wanted all sets to be filled by Dinka. Yes he may be right because Dinka has notion of neo-colonize tendency, this is why they want to take loin share in everything in South.

I personal done understand the claim, for how come that Collo confiscated their home land which is Malakal, for me this is wrong claimed which send wrong signal from unknown author who seems to be out of his mind.

By proclaiming that Malakal belong to Dinka, even the name originated from Collo language. This claim may be a clear indication that Dinka are oppressor Arabs in Southern Sudan, for we are hearing the same problem in Juba, Bor and Wau. For sure Dinka fought the liberation war was hidden agenda. To me what the accusation author made against the Collo in Malakal is true color of Dinka, for they are corrupted, exploiters, manipulate minded people, who think that other ethnic groups have the same sickness that enslave them for a long times, you could noticed this point especially  during Abiel Alier regimes in Southern government, whereby you find Dinkas saying that Dinkas  were  born to rule, and they were trying to impose their language on other communities to be national language in the South.

The slogan of New Sudan is a good one but it will not be implemented or attained unless Dinka change their behavior. Look ironical when the minister of finance in government of South Sudan was accused for corruption and was put in custody for inquiry, their community storm into the police custody taken the man by force. Please can you tell us where the democracy the author of memo is talking about is? Also your minister of finance in Upper Nile get rid of all qualified Collo public servants in his ministry filling their places with Dinka people. Is it not the corruption? It seems that anything done by Dinka member cannot be term as corruption but a blessing.

If the New Sudan emerged to challenge the traitors in South, I think it must begin with the Dinka, who want to marginalize people and dominate others for their sick agenda. You are real traitors because we fought the war together to liberate ourselves from Jalaba and now you have become another Jalaba in the South.

If the constitution of State is not implemented how come the government of State is functioning as legal government? To me it would have be good for author to be specific rather then giving generalization statement, you better mentioned the articles which you  hope to be implemented by the State legislative Assembly.

Blaming Collo for atrocities that occur in Makalal is bias because most of people who are much affected are Collo. Malakal robberies are mixed up people; they are not from one ethnic group. Therefore, pointing the fingers to one ethnic group is bad. This illustrate that you are not sounding in your judgment.

My actual concern in this memo is a question of accommodation of Collo in Dinka lands; I would like the author of memo to answer for me the following   questions:

When did this accommodation take place in Dinka Land? Who was the Dinka chief, who accommodated Collo? Why did they accommodate Collo? For how long was that accommodation supposed to be? Does the author have treaty that confirms that accommodation? What cause Dinka to leave their land behind after they accommodated Collo? If it is true that this land belong to them, why do they desert it?

In fact if the author can answer these questions, then we as Collo community we have no right to occupy the lands of our brothers who accommodate us in good faith, but because claim is lies the author must be aware that his community is going to face the consequence of his claim, especially if they do not brought such traitor to the book of law in daytimes, for Collo will not tolerate such attitude. If Dinka think that Collo is toothless, then we want to assure you that Collo reaction to your fault claim will be great blow to the entire South, and you will not enjoy the relative peace you enjoy today.

By requesting the removal of Pagan Amum in his position, you want to make SPLA/ M Dinka organization, then if it becomes Dinka institution, we have right to join any Devil to be thorn in your life forever.

In Panygor conference some guys within Dinka thoroughly claimed that Malakal belong to Dinka but they were silent by late Dr. John Garang indicating to them that Malakal belong to Collo, but the exploiter author of this memo give opposite picture. It is very bad for people who claimed to be born as leaders to give negative impression.

The author did not give us the direction where Collo come from as emigrants to Dinka land, please tell us  where our  ancestries come from, for I will be very happy to go back to  my home land rather then  living in Dinka land  because  the period of hospitality is over.

The memo stressed that the border between Collo and Dinka Padang is Nile; this claimed was made by Michael Mario when he was commissioner of Jongelei province in 1982. That brought high tension, which forced the government of Southern Sudan to call the meeting to let these tribes discussed the issues, that meeting  took place in Obeil, during the reign of king Ayang, but the meeting was fruitless, because Dinka refused to end this argument. For historical reference the people who were behind these irresponsible claimed were Rev. Philip Diu, Joshua Dau Diu, Antipas Ayay, Dr. James Thuoch, Chief Gajang and others.

When fighting break out between Collo and Jayang in 1983 as result of disputed between two friends from two communities, this incident was politicized by Dinka, that let to arrest of  Aban Ayong and his nephew Awak Pagan by police in Canal on accusation account of having weapons, they were detain without charges in Malakal Police custody.

The illusion pronunciation about   the border demarcation in 1956 is totally untrue, there was nothing of that kind, and I don't know where this canny man brought this maps he speaks about. If he is a true historian, let him provides the world with prove documents. I perceived that this demarcation in the mind of the author of memo is his own assumption, which he want to brought to surface for discussion and consideration.

To defuse the tension:

-The Dinka community must take step against their members who wrote this memo.

-The government of Upper Nile State must look for such criminals who proclaimed disunited that may result into instability in the State and bring them to trail to disclose who are behind this chaos mentality.

-The government of Southern Sudan must address the issues of border between the communities to avoid blood shed.

-Dinka must apology to entire Collo through their king to ensure peaceful coexisting, because that claimed could lead to bad retaliation   which will not be a good thing particular to Upper Nile State and in general to entire South Sudan.  For if Malakal is not in peace the whole South will not be in peace because they will experience hatred expression in legislative Assembly in Juba. People will be much concern about internal issues rather external issues that are the concern of all.

- Any support to this claimed will bring paralysis in the state, for land is people, without land no people, south Sudan fought a long liberate war  in the world because of land, then  how come we turn to ourselves blindly.